Whale Watching Field Trip

On April 10th, SES students embarked on a whale-watching field trip along the coast of Long Beach. The group boarded the Catalina Express Ferry, which departed from Queensway Bay, just east of the Long Beach docks. The tour lasted about two hours, beginning in the bay, heading out through the San Pedro Channel past the Los Angeles Harbor, and looping back around to the docks.

The day kicked off in the auditorium during the first period, where students gathered and waited to board one of three buses. The ride to Long Beach took around 50 minutes. Once the buses pulled in, hundreds of excited students made their way to the loading dock. Once onboard, everyone found a spot to sit on the upper or lower deck, each featuring stunning views.
At 10:30, the boat pulled out of the bay. Immediately, the students were greeted with breathtaking views of the historic Queen Mary and the peaceful skyline of downtown Long Beach.

The ferry cruised through the San Pedro Channel for about an hour without any whale sightings, though some students did spot jellyfish and other sea creatures along the way. Additionally, intense fog made it difficult to see during some parts of the ride.

Fortunately, the group was able to see a cluster of sea lions lounging on a man-made wall in San Pedro Bay. The boat slowed down for a quick photo op before turning back toward the docks.

After returning to shore, students disembarked and made their way back to the buses.
On the ride home, I caught up with Junior Cayden Sepulveda, who shared his thoughts on the experience: “Even though we didn’t see any whales, the trip was a lot of fun—I recommend students go next year too, especially if their friends are going. It’s a much better experience that way.”